The Lonely Widow (Completed) (Editing)

Chapter 2

     Lee stared at the house before him and took in the sights. He was moving out of his parents’ house and into a new place with his brother, Jamie. They’d agreed that buying a place together would be the best option since neither of them had the funds to manage a separate place each as Lee was in University and Jamie in college.

      And then their parents had told them that they’d purchase the house and the main items in the house for them as long as they both continued with University and College and achieved adequate grades with a respectable job at the end of it. If either of them strayed and failed their respective courses, they’d be thrown out and made to fend for themselves. Lee had regretted his earlier decision not to move into the halls at the Uni, but stood there now, looking up at his new house, those regrets disappeared.

      The house was a two storey house with a yellow gold exterior and a red door with concrete steps leading up to a white wooden porch. In the garden were rose bushes, lilies, chrysanthemums and all sorts of different flowers. To the right of him stood an apple tree and to the left an oak tree.

      He admired the house as Jamie barged past him and unlocked the front door, shouting back to him to stop being a pansy that ogles houses.

      Walking through the front door, he gaped at the enormity of the house. From the outside, it didn’t look very big, but as soon as he stepped through the door, he walked straight into a huge lounge/dining area with a corner sofa, a glass coffee table, matching dining table and a flat screen TV was mounted on the wall.

      The walls were plain cream all the way through the house that he could see. He could see the lounge/dining area and could see part of the kitchen from the door. He took in the dark marble worktops and the top of the range oven. He was in heaven. He mustered all his strength just to keep standing, so he held on to the door frame staring for a while.

      “This…” Lee started, but couldn’t find the words to express his feelings right that moment. He felt a mixture of happiness and dread. This meant he couldn’t rely on his parents all the time anymore. They’d paid for the house and most of the main things inside, but that was it. That was the limit of their utility. Lee and Jamie had to make their own way. And that meant getting jobs when they weren’t studying.  Lee pulled a face at the thought of getting a job on top of his Uni work and heard footsteps behind him.

      He turned around and his eyes met with a tall woman with blonde hair in her 50s. She wore dark cream trousers and a black shirt with a dark cream jacket to match the trousers. She stood in the doorway with a box of Jamie’s belongings in her hands and smiled at him.

      “Mum, this house is…” Lee sighed. He had no words to explain it. He was utterly astounded at the work his parents had put in here for them.

      “We’re glad you like it” she told him passing him the box in her arms and he placed it on the floor and held his arms out for his mother to move towards him. She moved swiftly into her son’s arms and hugged him tight.

      “Thank you. It’s more than you could have ever done for us. And we appreciate it so much” he whispered into her ear and a tear fell down her cheek onto her jacket.

      “Mary, leave the poor boy alone, I need to get past. This box is heavy” They heard from behind them where Lee and Jamie’s father Barry was stood in the doorway. Lee chuckled and Mary swatted Barry with the back of her hand.

      “Aren’t I allowed to grieve? Two of my boys are leaving home. I’ve only got one left” she pouted, pulling Lee into another hug and squeezing tighter than the first time.

      “Yes. Yes, you are, darling” Barry told her, shaking his head. “But do it later, we need to get these boxes inside before it rains. Where’s Jamie? Jamie!” His voice echoed through the house, booming loudly. Lee winced at the sound. His father’s voice went through him, hurting his ears. He still wasn’t used to it after all these years.